Business challengesrarely existin isolation.

Planning

• Goals and objectives
• Priority setting
• Annual planning
• Capacity

Setting direction, clarifying goals and deciding what comes first. Planning connects strategy to the everyday work that delivers it.

How it connects

• Projects: Plans become real through projects; projects need a plan to stay focused.
• Research: Good planning draws on organized information about options and context.
• Operations: Priorities must reflect the capacity consumed by day-to-day operations.

Operations

• Daily workflows
• Roles and responsibilities
• Handoffs
• Consistency

The day-to-day running of the organization: who does what, how work is handed off and how reliably it gets done.

How it connects

• Planning: Priorities must reflect the capacity consumed by day-to-day operations.
• Processes: Operations run on processes; unclear processes create operational friction.
• Documentation: Documented procedures make operations consistent and easier to learn.

Processes

• Process mapping
• Bottlenecks
• Approvals
• Standard steps

The defined steps behind recurring work. Clear processes make quality more consistent and make improvement possible.

How it connects

• Operations: Operations run on processes; unclear processes create operational friction.
• Digital Workflows: Digital tools should reflect a clear process, not replace one.
• Documentation: A process that is not written down tends to drift over time.

Digital Workflows

• Tools and systems
• Requirements
• Duplication
• Implementation

How tools, systems and data support the work. Digital workflows are most effective when the process behind them is clear.

How it connects

• Processes: Digital tools should reflect a clear process, not replace one.
• Projects: Introducing or changing tools is usually a project in its own right.
• Research: Comparing tools and approaches requires structured research.

Projects

• Scope
• Milestones
• Stakeholders
• Decision logs

Time-bound initiatives that change something. Projects need scope, milestones, coordination and documentation.

How it connects

• Planning: Plans become real through projects; projects need a plan to stay focused.
• Digital Workflows: Introducing or changing tools is usually a project in its own right.
• Documentation: Briefs, requirements and decision logs keep projects aligned.

Research

• Desk research
• Comparisons
• Briefings
• Information gaps

Gathering and organizing information to understand a market, an option or a question before deciding.

How it connects

• Planning: Good planning draws on organized information about options and context.
• Documentation: Research is only useful when its findings are recorded clearly.
• Digital Workflows: Comparing tools and approaches requires structured research.

Documentation

• Procedures
• Guides
• Briefs
• Reports

Recording how things work and why decisions were made, so knowledge is shared rather than held by individuals.

How it connects

• Operations: Documented procedures make operations consistent and easier to learn.
• Processes: A process that is not written down tends to drift over time.
• Projects: Briefs, requirements and decision logs keep projects aligned.
• Research: Research is only useful when its findings are recorded clearly.